This Is Your SECOND Notice

 

Late in September I posted on this blog finding the klieg lights on at Castle Craig during daylight hours. Today's photo was taken at 8:45 a.m.

Well, that was three weeks ago and THEY'RE STILL ON. It's your taxpayer dollars lighting up the sky twenty-four hours a day, folks. And since this blog is e-mailed to just about everybody and anybody in the city government who would be able to act on this, I would have expected it to be addressed promptly.

Let's try this again. THE KLIEG LIGHTS ARE ON DURING THE DAY AT CASTLE CRAIG. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER THAT IS, IF YOU'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG.

Today was a Power Tool Weekend®.

Several years ago I removed a tree which had fallen across the Blue Trail to West Peak. I just didn't cut it back far enough for my satisfaction. Today I was satisfied.

Further up the trail, near West Peak, was my next victim.

I reported last week finding this tree protruding into the road.

Well, I put a stop to that and in the process, discovered Hubbard Park loves me!

I walked over to Castle Craig, inpsected those Eternal Lights, and cleaned up around the parking lot.

On the hike down via the Orange Trail I found another fallen tree, which succumbed to my Stihl charms.

On the return trip to the park I was met by a park regular and his wife, who informed me of another fallen tree I was not aware of. 

I returned to the park, dropped of my trash pickup, and headed to that other location.

It was while retrieving my truck that I saw a very large, successful fundraising run was in progress. I was impressed as I'd never before seen such a turnout for a fundraiser in Hubbard Park.

Now to that last tree. Someone else had apparently made a couple cuts but must have run out of muscle.

I finished the job.

Please; SOMEBODY fix those klieg lights!

Leaves Began To Fall

 

Visit #1621, Sunday 4 October 26, 6:55-9:20 a.m., 5.2 miles, 7.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 60s, partly sunny and dry.

In coming up with today's blog title, I was inspired by a Frank Zappa tune, Tears Began To Fall.

I have the album. I wouldn't advise you to listen to it unless you're a Zappa fan; strange stuff.

I put the LP on the turntable while composing this report. No drugs were involved. Only Frank Zappa would write songs titled "What Kind of Girl Do You Think We Are?", "Latex Solar Beef", and "Lonesome Electric Turkey". Before you ask to borrow my copy, know that you've been duly warned.

The record jacket's sleeve contains a prescient reminder by Frank: Don't forget to vote.

I hadn't walked UP the road to East/West Peak in quite some time so today it would be.

I never expected to find graffiti on a speedbump but today, there it was.

Squint hard and you may recognize having seen this tag before.

See it no more...

...as well as this graffiti found at West Peak.

Bonus: While picking up litter at the north end of Merimere Reservoir I found this steel waterbottle probably left by a fisherman. It's in good enough condition to donate to Goodwill, which I'll do. If I kept all the waterbottles I've found in Hubbard Park I could open my own waterbottle thrift store.

It's been several weeks since the logging project on water department property was finished, but the gate remains unsecured.

I did find a couple fallen trees that need attention like this one, but not immediately. I'll probably take care of them next week.

While leaves will fall, signs can't, especially if they are nailed to trees like I found today.

I am a veteran, and I may be the "sticker peeler greaser", but I am NOT a Nazi Non American. Whether I'm an "a.....e" is debatable, I hope.

Nor'easter

 

Indeed the wind was howlin' on Saturday. The leaves were dropping like a prostitute's skirt.

Visit #1620, Saturday 26 Sep 26, 7:30-9:40 a.m., 3..4 miles, 1.7 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 60s, intermittent rain, and high winds, due to a Nor'easter.

Last week I reported on some new Cat's Patootie graffiti I'd found that needed attention. I'd also received an e-mail from one of my park informants telling me about a newly fallen tree I wasn't aware of. I took a mountain bike ride to the park during the week to seek out both.

I arrived at the park fifteen minutes after the gate across the road should have been closed but it was still open.

But just as I took the photo two things happened; that car you see parked up ahead arrived, and the parks employee assigned to locking the gate drove by (note the vehicle far in the background) no doubt to get stragglers at East/West Peak to leave. I advised the former to move their vehicle otherwise he and his date would be stuck behind the gate. Initially skeptical, they eventually took my advice and thanked me.

I took care of the graffiti.

Only for it to reappear on Saturday as #50, and to be again removed by me.

The other one was fine.

I did however, find  and cover #49 during that bike ride and it did not reappear.

Lastly during that weekday ride, I inspected that fallen tree I was informed about.

I wanted to remove both fallen trees but with the Nor'easter scheduled to dampen both weekend days I didn't have a choice to pick the drier of the two. So be it. I'm not too crazy about running a chainsaw in the rain because everything gets grungy with sawdust.

While the rain was intermittent, the wind was high and constant, even producing whitecaps on Merimere Reservoir. It was eerie yet beautiful at the same time.

I checked the weather before leaving the house and was fortunate enough to arrive during a lull in the rain.

I reached the first tree and dispatched it.

While hiking to the second tree I met another intrepid hiker who told me they heard, and saw, a tree branch snap and fall. Rare, but you get to witness the power of nature and Saturday's wind was mild by comparison.

The second tree across the trail was larger and needed more work. It also started to rain again increasing the grunge.

I then took a side trip onto an illegal trail created by one of our park's regular vandals. I found more of their religious tracts and mysterious notes. They still repeat the theme from previous notes; thank you for this and that, and wishing something about a woman. I wish their handwriting was more legible.

I removed a couple stickers from the bollards, otherwise known as Rommel's Asparagus.

But the award for Sticker of the Day belongs to this one.

Slightly difficult to read it says; "I hate colored peapole (sic). I don't know what "peapole" is. A vegetable, perhaps? 😉 Clearly, the person who wrote this (My instinct tells me it's the same person of the religious tracts and notes) is older because the term "colored peapole" is outdated let alone misspelled.

Timing

 

Visit #1619, Sunday 20 September 26, 6:50-9:25 a.m., 5.4 miles, 8.8 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 60s, clouding up with rain developing.

In the past month or so I've been caught a few times in the rain while hiking in Hubbard Park. With rain scheduled to start about 9 a.m. I was planning, and hoping, I'd avoid it this time.

Behind the water tank I found Cat's Patootie graffiti #47 since November 2016.

I'm not satisfied with my removal attempt so I shall return.

Further on I found #48, which will also get my attention soon.

On another trail I found a newly fallen tree which I shall remove next week. I haven't yet decided whether power tools will be involved.

An unusual find: a window crank, found on the trail behind the water tank. There's no window within a mile of that spot that it might belong to.

Up at Castle Craig I found my next donation to Goodwill, a large sized hoodie.

But the most interesting find of the day was at 7:50 in the morning, the klieg lights were on.

It was well past sunrise so either the photocell has failed or the plastic lens is clouded over from age. I didn't think the cloudy conditions were the cause. I also didn't take a photo of the photocell so as to not give anyone ideas. I'll notify the parks department to check it out.

Today's trivia: The klieg light was invented by two brothers, John and Anton Kliegl, German-born American lighting experts. Why the "l" was dropped from the light's name is unknown. Also, it's apparently acceptable to spell it "kleig" according to my Merriam-Webster dictionary but it's a secondary spelling. Don't be brain lazy; spell it right, people!

Reaching the end of the trail and the road at the north end of Merimere Reservoir, it just barely started to rain. I couldn't feel it but I could see the drops landing on the water. Maybe you can see the drops, too.

I reached my truck while the rain was just gaining momentum. Perfect timing.